


A Mother's Care

by kovamattel



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Karen/Billy friendship, M/M, no romance between them, post-S3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 15:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19726849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kovamattel/pseuds/kovamattel
Summary: The last person Karen Wheeler expects on her doorstep at this hour is Billy Hargrove. He's upset and bruised, and her motherly instincts kick in as Billy gets some things off his chest.





	A Mother's Care

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the kudos, comments and even bookmarks (!!) on my last fic.
> 
> With this one I wanted Billy to get some motherly love and I think Karen is a great character, especially after her scenes in s3 (no spoilers in this fic btw, and it's canon divergent!). There is ZERO romance between Karen and Billy in this fic, so please don't worry about that. Enjoy! x

_November 18th, 1985_

The clock had just chimed eleven. Karen Wheeler was sat at the kitchen island stirring a spoon into her mug of tea, eyelids refusing to droop despite the late hour. She let out a quiet sigh and debated on whether to give up on getting a good night’s sleep and maybe starting on the laundry that was beginning to pile up. As Karen went to take a sip of tea, a knock at the door startled her. She glanced at the clock, slightly alarmed as a house call at this hour was never good news. There was another knock, this time a little more desperate.

“Just a sec!” Karen tied her dressing gown a little tighter and toed on her slippers before heading to the door, a little apprehensive about who she would find when she opened it. Her eyebrows raised when she saw none other than Billy Hargrove on her front step. She took in his damp cheeks, bloody nose and mussed hair before quickly ushering him in.

“Billy? Are you okay? It’s real late, should you not be at home?”

“Sorry, I know it’s late, but I didn’t know where else I could go, I can’t be in that house right now, I _can’t_ -” Fists balled in his golden curls, Billy’s shoulders drooped, and he let out a quiet sob. Karen’s eyes widened and her maternal instincts kicked in. Someone had hurt this boy and he felt like he had no one to turn to except for her, a woman he didn’t really even know aside from some mindless flirting.

“Come on, honey, this way. We’ll get you cleaned up.” Karen led Billy to the kitchen and grabbed the first aid kit which lived in one of the cupboards. Without any word from Billy and only the occasional apology from Karen for making him wince, she cleaned up his bloody nose and, without hesitation, wiped away his tears with a tissue.

“Thanks,” Billy uttered awkwardly once she was done. Karen dipped her head to meet his and gave him a kind smile. There were a few moments of silence as Karen washed her hands and tidied the first aid kit away, and Billy tentatively wiped his nose to check no new blood had appeared. Karen knew Billy’s type – you couldn’t force a conversation out of him that he didn’t want to have – and so she kept quiet for a little longer, hoping he would start to tell her what he obviously had come here to tell. She didn’t have to wait long.

“Do you think people can change?” Karen pursed her lips in thought and sat down next to Billy at the island counter.

“I think that that all depends on whether the person wants to change.” Billy nodded, biting his lip. He then spoke in an even quieter voice.

“I want to change. I don’t want to be like my dad.” Karen closed her eyes. Her suspicions had been confirmed – these injuries had been inflicted by the kid’s very own father.

“Billy, honey, I don’t think you could ever be like your father. Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but I can see the good in you, I can see the way you shut your real self away and put on this tough guy façade. I know you’re hurting, and I know you’re scared. And…something in the past few months has really hurt you. I heard Mike and El talking about you the other day. They were worried, El especially. Now, I know the explosion at the mall was awful and this town lost a lot of people” – Billy winced – “and I can totally understand why that might have affected you. It was scary. But you’re okay, and Max is okay and all the kids. It’s time to heal. From that, from everything your father has done to you.” Karen took a breath, checking the expression on Billy’s face to see how her words were affecting him. He looked okay – exhausted, emotional, bruised, but okay. He fiddled with the pendant laying on his chest.

“I was going to talk to the school counsellor about my mom. About her leaving me with my dad. I’m not angry with her I’m just…confused. I think talking about it might help.” Karen’s heart skipped a beat. She’d just assumed Billy’s mom had passed away, but for a woman to leave her son with an abusive father…she couldn’t fathom it. Karen didn’t think it would be a good idea to judge the woman though, not to Billy’s face. Whether she’d left him or not, she was still his mother and he obviously felt very strongly about her.

"I think that’s a really good idea, honey.” Billy nodded and gave a sniff, still not meeting her eye while being so vulnerable.

“And I’ve been saving up from the job at the pool. As soon as I turn eighteen I’m gonna look for my own place. It won’t be anything flash, but it’ll get me away from him. And if Max doesn’t want to come with me then she can come visit instead, as much as she wants, maybe have her own room to decorate too. I think she’d like that.” Karen smiled; she’d heard from El that Billy and Max were much closer these days.

“Billy, I think she’d love that. Getting to stay at her cool big brother’s place.” Billy gave a quiet laugh and finally met Karen’s eyes. He nodded and then bit his lip.

“Karen, what would you think if Mike – or Nancy – ever brought home someone…that you wouldn’t have expected them to bring?” His gaze had dropped again, and he was tugging at the hem of his t-shirt.

“Well they kind of already have. El’s a strange girl and Jonathon’s not exactly the type of guy I’d have pictured Nancy going for. But they’re great kids and they treat my kids well, so I’m happy.” Karen frowned as Billy shook his head, looking a little frustrated and turning a little red.

“No, no I mean like you _really_ wouldn’t expect it. It would be…some people would be really mad. Would you be mad?” Karen was a little lost.

“Honey, I don’t understand -”

“ _Boys_. If I, if I liked _boys_. Would you, as a mom, be…mad?”

_Oh_ , Karen thought. Then her heart broke a little as she looked at Billy, the boy looking every bit a lost teenager, tears threatening to well up in his eyes again, hands shaking despite his attempts to disguise by having them fiddle with everything from his hair to his shirt. She placed one hand on his knee.

“I wouldn’t be mad. I don’t think your mom would be either.” His eyes raised a little.

“Really? You wouldn’t think I’m a, a _faggot_?” Karen flinched at the harsh word.

“Is that what your dad calls you?” Billy huffed and nodded.

“He caught me with a guy, just kissing, that’s all it was. A boy from my class. That’s why we left California, he thought it was way too _liberal_ over there, thought it was bad for me.” It seemed now that he’d started to let everything out he couldn’t stop, like a pan boiling over, he tripped over his words to get them out. “I keep magazines in my top drawer so he can find them, so he’ll think I’m into girls and maybe he won’t hate me so much. I even bring girls home and ask them to be as loud as they can so that he can hear. I know that’s messed up. I don’t enjoy it, it’s just something I have to do.” Karen wished she could tell him that he didn’t have to do that, that he didn’t have to pretend, but she knew the reality of the situation; until Billy had his own place he was stuck with his father, an obviously small-minded and cruel man, and if Billy had his own ways of keeping safe when it came to protecting his identity, then she couldn’t tell him to stop.

“One day it won’t be like that. Things will change, they will get better and people will be more accepting, as they _should_ be.” Billy nodded and hastily wiped at his eyes.

“Yeah. One day. Just gotta hang on until then, I suppose.” They had a few moments of silence and Billy calmed his breathing and Karen surreptitiously wiped a stray tear from her eye. He eventually cleared his throat and glanced at the clock.

“I should get going. Thanks, Karen. For everything.” They both stood up and Karen felt torn about letting Billy go home.

“Would you like to stay the night, we’ve got a sofa bed, it’s probably not the most comfortable thing but -”

“Nah, I’ll be okay. Thanks though.” Karen nodded and then moved forward to give him a tight squeeze. He gently squeezed her back.

“Drive safe okay? And you can call in anytime.” Billy gave her a tired smile, opened the front door, and disappeared down the drive.

Once she’d watched as his car drove away, giving him a little wave which he returned, Karen locked up and turned off the kitchen lights. She headed up the stairs and to her bedroom. Taking off her dressing gown and climbing into bed, Karen watched her husband as he snored quietly. She cuddled into him and, in his sleep, his arms instinctively curled around her. He may not be the most romantic man on the planet, sure, but he was a good man and a great father, and she wished every kid had a dad that cared the way he did. As she drifted off to sleep she said a prayer for Billy, asking God to keep him safe, knowing for sure that he wasn’t going home tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed that! Please leave kudos and comments if you did, and I'll see you soon for the next fic! x


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